5 years ago, I didn't have these.

5 years ago, I couldn't afford these.

5 years ago, my 5 travel bags did not exist. (4 pictured)

For about 3 years of Christmases before 5 years ago, all I wanted was luggage. I didn't have a clue, or at least I can't remember now, whyyyyyy I wanted luggage so much. I suppose I wanted to travel. I suppose I really just wanted to get away. 

If I had my way back then, I would have run away from ALL my situations.

But the Lord never let me do it. 🙄🙄🙄

What the Lord DID let me do though was get some luggage. I didn't start with this set of luggage. I started with a couple other sets that people bought me trying to get at what I wanted for Christmas. It wasn't that the sets that they bought weren't good enough, but I wanted good luggage. Big luggage. Quality luggage.

And the little sets that they had at Belk weren't going to get it.

So, as I packed my belongings today, Spirit reminded me of all that I had been through. Spirit reminded me of all the LUGGAGE I had been through! I'm reminded now that there are plenty of people who do not have luggage AT ALL. And they are also people who WAIT to get luggage before they are willing to travel.

I had luggage before, I had the regular old black bags or the common navy blue bags. You know, the ones that blend in with everyone else's.

I wanted luggage that would stand out!

I wanted luggage that would say, I AM somebody! I wanted luggage that would make me FEEL like somebody!! 😔😔 

And you know, the interesting thing about all of this is, I was still traveling... 

I remember the one time I packed a HUGE bag to spend a week in California. I mean the bag was so big that I even packed my yoga mat in it and that wasn't the only bag that I flew with. 

Poor guy. I was back home in less than a week. 😂🤣😂🤣 (Another story for another post. Lol)

I remember the free trip to Jamaica and in all expense paid resort when my "whoever was anticipating my arrival" couldn't find me once I arrived. That was the trip where I fell in love with the RIU line of hotels AND the Holy Spirit who was spilling all the tea about "whoever was anticipating my arrival" who was the same person who paid for this trip!!! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 (NOTE: Spirit better be your BEST friend, ladies! Spirit knows ALL the business!!)

I remember when my cousin bought me Travelpro luggage! (Travelpro Products Yeeeessssss👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾)

Folks, I remember 18 months ago, when I felt like I was living out of my car. I left North Carolina with a raggedy Ann's packing worth of monastery clothes and couldn't go back home for 8 months to pick up my belongings.

I didn't know then that I would be living life like I'm living right now. I didn't know then that God would open up homes across the continental US AND its outlying Islands 🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾✈️✈️✈️ on my behalf. I didn't know then that I would be pastoring a church full of travelers. Every single one of us travels 2 to 3 times a month or for 2 or 3 months at a time. (Need a church family that travels with you? LMK!!!)

I guess I'm saying all of this to say, God is good, you all.

I had a decent urge for luggage (a HEAVY yearning if I'm honest), but I couldn't have known then that THIS would be the reason why. That these 18 months PLUS would be the reason why I needed good luggage. I needed quality luggage.

And you know what I did with my old luggage? The sets that were given to me? Those that are not being used to store books? I gave 'em away. I gave them to a lady who somehow knew about my luggage struggles and who asked me if she could have them. I gave them away. A full set of luggage, no questions asked. I did the same thing with THAT luggage that I'm about to do with THIS luggage!!!!

It's time for NEW, big luggage y'all!

It's time for some new luggage y'all! It's time to make some NEW memories with some NEW bags because I am most certainly a bag lady these days! And I love it! Love it love it! 

Who knew that my time as a... "traveling evangelist" would be so blessed?!

So my Kensie babies here are about to be replaced with some Nicole Miller !!!! Boop!

But I don't know you all... 

This Kensie luggage is EVERYTHING! I have literally carried BODIES in these bags and I've had NO problems at all! Not a wheel to pop off, not a zipper broken, not an extender to get stuck... #Kensie might get my money again! 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️